ESPN The Magazine has an interview with Rex Ryan in it’s latest issue. They asked him to respond to fans criticism on website message boards. Here is one example –

3. “That’s funny, Rex calling Vernon Gholston a phony, considering how much he publicly kissed Vernon’s ass the past two years and now admits to lying about that. Who’s the bigger phony?” – Posted on Jetnation.comRYAN: “There’s not a phony bone in my body, but if I could change a couple of words in the book, that would be one of them. Anyway, when I called Vernon a phony, I was talking to Eric Mangini about his combine numbers; he never played to those numbers. Vernon is a great person, and he got better as a player the two years I had him. And I don’t kiss anybody’s butt.”

Is Ryan a phony?

I don’t think so, but I think his handling of Gholston was phony.

For two years, he was praising Gholston’s progress when it wasn’t merited.

He also activated him on game day ahead of better players, who he unfairly de-activated.

And on his book tour, he keeps saying Gholston improved.

Well, if Gholston improved, why did you cut him?

So in closing, no, Rex generally isn’t a phony, but in his handling of Gholston, he was a phony.